More than 100 Applebee’s, IHOP restaurants to close

GLENDALE, Calif. – The parent company of Applebee’s and IHOP could close as many as 135 Applebee’s restaurants, and 25 IHOP restaurants this year due to poor sales, according to a statement released Thursday.

DineEquity’s interim CEO Richard J. Dahl said in the release that 2017 will be a “transitional year” for Applebee’s, adding, “we are making the necessary investments for overall long-term brand health and expect to see improvement over the next year.”

DineEquity noted that the numbers are revised expectations – the number of Applebee’s restaurants set to close is more than double what was previously expected. The number of expected IHOP closures is between two and seven more locations.